The sun is the ultimate source of energy, which provides the earth with enough solar energy, such that a mere fraction of the solar energy if efficiently converted into electrical energy will be enough for all human needs. Solar energy becomes more and more efficient, with its low pollution and is one of the unlimited renewable energy resources. It provides an efficient alternative to fossil fuels and also a promising long term solution to solving the energy crisis.
Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar technology or active solar technology depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels to harness the energy. The light-harvesting process to convert solar energy to electricity comprises two key steps that determine the overall efficiency of the process, namely i) light absorption, and ii) charge collection. The solar panels, or photovoltaic cells, industry is growing at a high pace with a vast market potential.
Two-dimensional flat solar panels are the commonly used panels for solar energy harvesting, these panels being found installed on the roofs of both domestic and commercial properties. But the two-dimensional panel poses certain limitations such as insufficient energy conversion due to the relative lack of direct incident light, especially in high altitude regions. Light at non-normal angles of incidence impacts the efficiency of the flat solar panel, and this is especially apparent not only when considering the sun's movement during its daily cycle, but also the sun's movement during its yearly cycle.
Conventional solar panels comprise lots of small solar cells spread over a large area that can work together to provide enough power thus consuming vast space rendering it difficult to install such solar panels in a variety of commercial setups. In addition to space constraints, reflectivity of the solar cell surface also significantly impairs productivity of the solar panel despite the existing anti-reflectivity coating techniques to overcome reflectivity issues. In addition to space constraints and two dimensional flat panel design, solar panels known in the art pose further limitations due to employment of conventional metallic contact wires and bus bars inside the solar cells.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an efficient solar panel design in order to maximize the conversion of sunlight into electricity. It is an object of the present invention to provide a three dimensional photovoltaic module that allows for the absorption of solar energy from various angles in a three hundred sixty degree arrangement. The present invention includes a solar structure having a plurality of solar cells that are positioned about a solar frame in a polyhedron arrangement. Each of the plurality of solar cells is two-sided, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells absorbs light from the exterior of the solar structure and from an interior volume of the solar structure. A concentrated photovoltaic lens directs light into and traps light within the interior volume.
The solar structure is connected to a base panel unit that allows the solar structure to freely rotate in order to cool the solar structure and increase the efficiency of the present invention. The solar structure is connected to a rotational base of the base panel unit, wherein the rotational base is magnetically levitated about a magnetic base that allows for the rotation of the solar structure. Furthermore, a plurality of acoustic levitation modules stabilizes the levitation of the rotational base about the magnetic base. A module support structure is also provided to allow for the optimal positioning of multiple three dimensional photovoltaic modules.